County sends alert on pertussis cases

NORTH COUNTY — School and county health officials are working to notify students, parents, and staff members who may have been exposed to pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, after two North County students were diagnosed with the highly contagious disease.

A 6-year-old Cardiff Elementary School student and a 16-year-old Escondido High School student were diagnosed with pertussis on Oct. 5 and Oct. 9, respectively, the county Health and Human Services Agency said. Both children were up to date with their pertussis vaccination.

Neither child was hospitalized, a health services spokesman said. The disease is treated with antibiotics.

“While immunity from the vaccine wanes sooner than initially thought, vaccinated people who contract the disease experience milder symptoms,” said county public health officer Dr. Wilma Wooten.

County health officials recommend that people with pertussis stay at home at least five days after beginning treatment with an antibiotic. A person with pertussis is considered non-infectious after five days of appropriate treatment, officials said.

A typical pertussis case starts with a cough and runny nose for one to two weeks, followed by weeks to months of rapid coughing fits that sometimes end with a whooping sound.

So far this year, 107 cases of whooping cough have been reported in the region. In 2011, 400 local pertussis cases were reported.

For more information about whooping cough and vaccination clinics, call (866) 358-2966 or go to sdiz.org.